1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display panel and an image display apparatus provided with a flat, rectangular vacuum vessel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image display apparatuses such as a field emission display (FED) are known that are of a type in which electrons emitted from electron-emitting devices are radiated onto a light emitter such as a phosphor. Such image display apparatuses use a display panel provided with a flat, rectangular vacuum vessel in which the interior thereof is maintained at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure (vacuum). In order to maintain the internal space in a vacuum, a plurality of spacers are typically provided within the flat, rectangular vacuum vessel.
In an image display apparatus having a display panel provided with a flat, rectangular vacuum vessel in this manner, it is required to prevent the vacuum vessel from being damaged by impact applied to the image display apparatus. In addition, it is also required to not only prevent damage to the exterior of the vacuum vessel, but also to prevent damage to members relating to image display located within the vacuum vessel. Examples of impact that causes damage to the vacuum vessel include impact to the image display apparatus from the outside, impact occurring during transport or installation, and impact caused by dropping due to careless handling.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-011764 discloses a reinforcement frame attached to the back (side on the opposite side from the display side) of a vacuum vessel that composes a display panel in order to improve the mechanical strength of the vacuum vessel. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-227766 discloses the adhesion of a reinforcement frame to a vacuum vessel with a plurality of adhesives. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-185723 discloses a vacuum vessel provided with long, narrow plate-like spacers arranged so that each of the lengthwise directions thereof are parallel. A mode is disclosed therein in which long, narrow plate-like spacers are contacted in a plurality of spacer contact layers intermittently provided on a metal back layer that covers a light-emitting surface. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-326580 discloses the providing of a protective plate on a display surface of a vacuum vessel that composes a display panel.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-227766, adhesive is also provided in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the plate-like spacers. Consequently, dropping impact and the like lead to damage to the plate-like spacers and contact members in contact with the plate-like spacers, and this may cause deterioration of display images. In addition, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-227766, adhesive is provided to the edges of the vacuum vessel. Consequently, impact is applied to the vacuum vessel through the reinforcement frame during transport or caused by dropping and the like, and impact is transmitted directly to the edges in which bending occurs, thereby leading to damage to the edges. In addition, when adhering the reinforcement frame to the edges in which bending occurs, variations in the thickness of the adhesive or pressing force applied during adhesion and the like can also lead to damage to the edges.